Who We Are

Ayodele, a Yoruba word meaning joy in the home, is a sisterhood of women who recognize the guidance of the Creator in our mission to study, heal and express ourselves through African Drum and Dance from a woman’s perspective.

Although from different backgrounds; we’re passionate in our common efforts to empower and strengthen the women in our community through knowledge and education of the her/story, rituals, music and dances of African culture.

Sisters dedicated to piecing together the broken woman by freeing her from subliminal imprisonment. Using our creative visions to enhance and explore our artistic knowledge, experience, passion and friendships which help strengthen our Families.

In our quest to reclaim our homes; we strive to embrace the similarities while acknowledging the differences among ourselves. Tracing those similarities throughout the Diaspora, Learning how through slavery, African culture was disseminated and absorbed into other cultures.

Africa is everywhere and everywhere is Africa. By the hands of our fathers and the breast of our mothers we vow to reconnect the many nations built from this union/ balance.

As we exchange knowledge and experience of Africa across the world; those similarities bond us together with internal joy into a sisterhood of women whose feet are firmly rooted in Ayodele.

Staff

**T. Ayo Alston**, Executive/Artistic Director
T. Ayo Alston teaches and practices a signature theatrical style of West African drum and dance culture that captures the strength and power of women and community. Ayo is the founder, executive director, composer, and choreographer of Ayodele Drum and Dance, a performance training organization created for women to affirm their self-confidence and strength. Through Ayodele, she has performed, educated, fostered interpersonal healing, and created artistic work from a foundation of traditional African cultures fused with contemporary dance styles.
Throughout her career Ayo has taught, choreographed, and performed at schools and universities locally and nationally, as well as in African and Brazilian countries, as an independent artist and as a member of other companies and organizations, such as Dance Africa, Drum Cafe West, Le Bagatae Company of Guinea, Les Ballets Africans, and Muntu Dance Theatre.
In the last two years Ayo has been focused on fine-tuning and sharing her ability to compose music on African instruments, such as the kalimba. This resulted in her accepting a role as a lead actress in and musical composer for *Mies Julie* at Victory Gardens Theater and as a composer and musician for *The Lion King Jr.* at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
Ayo serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago and on the Dance faculty at Chicago High School of the Arts. She also has developed drum and dance programs that are thriving in prestigious schools, such as Jones College Prep and Walter Payton College Prep, where Ayodele has trained dancers to teach and gain professional artistic skills and experience.
As Ayo passes on her artistic experience and excellence to others, she honors, respects, and expresses tremendous gratitude for her own teachers, including Youssouf Koumbassa, Mouminatou Camara, Baba Chuck Davis, Jawolle Willa Zollar, Rosangela Sylvestre, her mother Sarah, her sisters, women around the world, and LIFE!

**Imania Fatima Detry,** Assistant Artistic Director
Imania Fatima Detry is a Chicago-born and bred performing and teaching artist with a concentration in West African Dance.
With over 20 years of professional training and performance with Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago as a principal artist and as the Assistant Artistic Director of Ayodele Drum and Dance, she truly enjoys and works to preserve African dance and culture as well as share her performance and teaching style. Her style and experiences have given her the opportunity to work with different artists and organizations including Chance the Rapper, Fatima Robinson, Fox Productions, and more.
Imania has expanded her choreography with fusion styles that include: Djembe and DounDance, Sabar, House, Chicago Footwork, Afrobeat, and Afrobeats.

**Patrice Gaitors,** Finance Manager
Patrice began her African dance debut with "Minianka African Dance & Drum Ensemble..." She worked under the direction of late great "Naghree Sutton-Silas..." Later she became one of the founding members of "Ayodele Drum and Dance..." Under the Artistic direction of Tosha "Ayo" Alston, Patrice quickly became a principal dynamic performer with the company.

Mashaune Hardy, Business Manager

A lifelong Chicagoan, Mashaune Hardy has deep ties to Chicago’s vibrant arts community. With more than 20 years of experience in dance, information technology, marketing, and arts administration; she sits at the intersection of process and performance. Mashaune produces concerts, conferences, and performances, has danced with Seneke West African Percussion Ensemble, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, and Ayodele Drum and Dance; and has developed social media strategies for several artists and arts organizations including the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

Currently, she is the Business Manager at Ayodele Drum and Dance, Social Media Manager at the Jazz Institute of Chicago, and Assistant Director of Community Arts Partnership and Strategy at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

In addition to her work in the arts, Mashaune has led technology projects as a Senior Systems Analyst at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and Hewlett Packard (HP). Mashaune received a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Sydney Adams, Secretary and AYP Teen Coordinator

Sydney Lorraine Adams is a Chicago, IL native. Her educational career began at Beasley Academic Center (1st - 4th) then continued at Andrew Jackson Language Academy (5th-8th) from there she attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High school. For her post-secondary education, she attended Hampton University- in Hampton, Virginia where she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre Technology and Design, 05/2007. She continued her post-graduate degree at Northeastern Illinois University where she received her Master of Arts Degree in Speech, Theatre and Communication, 12/2013.

Sydney currently works as a Media Specialist in the Information Technology Department at Malcolm X College, One of the City Colleges of Chicago. She oversees the operation of the media equipment for college-wide activities; serves as a liaison for the department to ensure that internal and external events run efficiently and purchases new items that will enhance both the department and the Theatre, as well as maintain our inventory.

Since she was a little girl Sydney has always loved to dance. She began dancing with Mayfair Dance Academy and Susubribi, her Godfather’s West-African Dance Company. As she got older; she studied, for over 10 years, with the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Company, led by Founder Homer Hans Bryant. After college, and getting used to being back in Chicago, Sydney found West African Dance Classes at Sherman Park. Soon after regularly attending dance classes Sydney joined Ayodele Drum and Dance, led by T. Ayo Alston, Founder and Executive Artistic Director where she moved up to Principal Performer. Although she is no longer dancing, she remains a part of the company as a Staff Member serving as the Secretary.

Sydney is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., - Xi Nu Omega Chapter. and the Monarch Awards Foundation, Inc. where she has held numerous offices and led many successful programs, activities, and fundraisers.